Road grading and maintaining machine



May 25, 1926. I 1 1,586,229

0. B. WALTERS ROADERADING AND MAINTAINING MACHINE Fild July 2, .1924

i Qwuntov flEWa/Zzens;

attozwu Patented May 25, 1926.

UNITED 013m B. WALTERS, or COUNCIL BLUIEFS, IOWA.

ROAD GRADING Ann MAINTAINING- MACHINE.

Application filed m 2, 1924. Serial no. 723,754.

The present invention relates to road rading and mz'iintaining machines, and has more particular reference to an improved scraper connection and support.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved draft bar for use between the scraper blade and a frame, and which is adjustable as to length nd Which is so constructed that the bar may be qui'ekly and easily le'ngtliei'i'ed or shortened to change the position of the scraper blade beneath the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide an i-mp'r'ovedpivoted and adjustable connection between the draft bar and the scraper b'lade, so thatthe scraper blade may easily and quickly yield to different transverse angular positions, and which Will also be susceptible to various changes and inclination. i Y

A further object of the invention to provide spaced connection for the top and lower portions of a scraper blade for con necting the same to a: draft bar, which con- 5 nectio'ns'are adjustable sothat'the scraper blade may be swung into the desired ai'igle, and so that the blade will befirmly supported again-st breakage and from being swung" out of osition as the pressure l against the blade may be distributed to the points of support.

A still further o'bjeetof the invention is to provide a'pa'ir oftelescoping part's having openings therein adaptedto' register in different combinations at differe'l'it adjustments of thep'arts, and to provide-a lock'in g ,pinwvi'th handle for placing the pin through the registering apertures and for holding the pin against accidental displacement during use of the device.

With the foregoingand other objects in View, the invention will be more-fully described hereinafter, and will be more par ticularly pointed out" in the claims appended hereto. I

In the drawings, whereinlike symbols refer to like or corresponding" parts throughout the several 'vievv's,

Figure .l is aside elevation of a draft bur constru ted according to the present invention, showing the same conneoted'to the craper blade with the improved connections, a portion of a machine frame being disposed relatively to the draft bar and scraper blade, thedotted lines showing-the leaking imeieasea and ready for reliever F igure 2 is a top plan view of the same With the frame removed.

Figure 53 1's a horizontal section, enlarged, taken through Figure 1 on the line 33 and showing the lower connection 'of the draft bar With the scraper blade.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan- View of the intermediate portion of the scraper blade, showing-the perforated anjdcurved brace bar proj'eoting real-Wardly th'ei efroin, and p v Figure 5 a transverse section taken through the draw b'er substantially on the line of Figure 1 the View bein g enlarged and showing the quickly removal locking pin for holding the bar in adjusted position.

Referring to the drawing designates a machine frame which may bear scraper for use in road building'for repair Work, "or the like, and V'l'llCll may be provided with a laterally extending 'a'rin 11 to which the improveddraft bar may be attached.

The improved draft comprises a rear section 12 and a front section 13, these designations being given merely for the pn' ese of description and it is understood that he parts mayor course be modified or -i-' :-vsised to n' eet conditions or manufacture "The section '12 comprises an elongated fiatfbtr'adapted'to be cl-i"s p( )s e"d edgeiivisein a "vertical pos-itioii,'aiidivhieh has a downwardly curved foot 14 adapted to project be-liin'd a scraper blade 15 of any approved type. Tl'ie scraper blade 15: has an 'an g l'e iron 16 scoured, by rivets or the like, to its rear side and near its lower edg'e, and one Hang-ed the aiigle non 16' extends sul stantially horiiontally rearward to support one member 17 of a hinge, the other member 18 of Whichis ed in a ifet'eee forn' ed in the lower extremity of th'e foot 1 1-. The hing-e members l7 and 1 8 are connected together by a horizontalpin 19 while the member 18 pivo't'al'ly 'conneete'd to the foot 14 by a vertical lpiii 20, the pins 719 and 20 being arranged at right angles t'oie'ach other, end providing'asubstantially ili'niversal' joint b tween the scraper blade 15 and the foot 1 1-.

An arcuate' or curved brace bar 21 is securedto therear sideof'th'e scraper blade 15 at or nearits upper edge, and the bar 21 is curved rearvv rdly'and'doivnvvardly from thescraper blade and provided with a row of openings or perforations 22 asshown to advantage in Figure 4c. The foot 14 has at its upper end, and near its juncture with the body portion of the rear section 12 of the draw bar, a forwardly extending bracket arm 23 which carries a pin or bolt 24L arranged vertically, and which projects downwardly from the bracket 23 for engagement in a selected opening 22 for holding the scraper blade 15 at the desired rearward inclination.

The forward end of the rear section 12 of the draft bar is forked to provide a pair of fork arms 25 between which is slidably fitted the rear end of the forward section 13. The fork arms 25 are connected together at their outer or forward ends by cross straps 26 which may be cast or formed integrally with the arms 25 and which form therewith a collar or enclosure for guiding and maintaining the front section 13 from vertical and lateral movement from between the fork arms 25. The fork arms 25 and the rear end of the front section 13 are provided with equi-distantly spaced apart openings 27 adapted to register with each other in various adjustments of the sections 12 and 13 to make the draft bar long or short according to its circumstances of use.

For the purpose of locking or holding the sections 12 and 13 together after adjustment is made, a removable locking member 28 is used, and the same may comprise a rod or heavy pin which is provided with a finger 29 adapted to be inserted in the registering openings 27 and which is of suflicient length to extend through, or substantially through both of the fork arms 25 and through the intermediate portion of the front section 31 so as to interlock the front and rear sections together. The finger or pin 29 also cooperates with the sleeve portion 26 to hold the front and rear sections 12 and 13 rigidly and from buckling or distortion. The looking member 28 extends upwardly from the outer end of the finger 29 and is bent so as to lie across the upper edges of the fork arms 25 and the front section 13, and is provided with a. depending handle 30 which may be grasped for manipulating the locking member. The upper portion of the locking member 28 is of sufficient length to space the cross piece 33 considerably above the upper edges of the forks 25 when the member 28 is swung into upright position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and to permit the handle 30 to clear the upper edges of the forks 25 and have free play or movement in withdrawing and positioning the finger 29. The weight of the handle 30 normally maintains it in lowered position against the outer side of the fork 25 and maintains the locking member 28 in posilion, so that it can not readily be jarred out of place.

The front section 13 may comprise a flat bar of suilicient width to fit snugly between the fork arms 25, and which is connected. by a horizontal pivot 31 with a coupling link in turn connected to the arm 11 by a vertical pivot 33. These pivots 31 and provide a universal connection between the front section 13 of the draw bar and the arm 1.1 of the frame.

In use, when it is desired to change the position of the scraper blade 15 beneath the frame 10, so as to move the scraper blade forwardly or rearwz'trdly therebeneath, it is only necessary to grasp the handle 30 swing .it upwardly to clear the fork 25, and force it outwardly to remove the finger 29 from the fork arms 25 and the intermediate portion of the front section 13. The sections 12 and 13 may now be drawn further apart or forced together, so as to make the draw bar longer or shorter in accordance with the adjustment desired. The locking pin 29 is then again slid into the selected openings 27, so as to hold the parts of the draw bar together in their new position of adjustment.

The bolt or pin 2 1 may be moved upwardly in the bracket 23 and out of engagement, with the brace arm 21, so that the scraper 15 may be swung at its upper end forwardly or rearwardly into the required angle when the bolt 25 may be again moved into the selected opening 22 and the scraper blade 15 thus secured in its new angle of inclination.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

YVhat is claimed is 1. A draft bar comprising a pair of sections, one of said sections being forked to receive the other section, said forked portion of one section and said other section having transverse apertures adapted to register in various relative adjusted positions of the sections, and a locking member for securing said sections in adjusted position, said locking member having a nnger for engagement through the registering openings of the sections for holding them in adjusted position and provided with an angle portion extending upwardly against one side of the draft bar and across the top thereof and projecting downwardly at the opposite sides of the draft bar for maintaining the locking member in position and for facilitating removal of the locking member from said openings.

2. A draft bar for scraper blades comprising a pair of interfitting sections, means for adjustably securing the sections together to vary the length of the draft bar, one of said sections having a depending foot and provided with a bracket at the upper end of the foot, a universal hinge connection upon the lower end of the :foot for attachment to the lower edge portion of the scraper blade, a curved brace bar carried upon the upper edge of the scraper blade beneath the bracket on said depending foot, said brace bar on the scraper blade curved rearwardly and downwardly on an are formed by a radius Whose center is coincident With said universal hinge, and means for interlocking said bracket and brace bar together for maintaining the scraper blade in adjusted position.

3. Draft means for a scraper blade comprising a draft bar provided with a depending foot for engagement behind a scraper blade, a hinge connection carried upon the lower end of said feot i'or engage ment with the lower portion of the scraper blade, a rearwardly and downwardly curved brace bar mounted on the upper edge portion 01 the scraper blade, said scraper blade being adapted to be tilted into various adjusted positions, a bracket projecting itorwardly from the upper end of said foot and overlapping said curved brace bar, and locking means adjustably connecting the bracket to the brace bar for holding the scraper blade in various positions of adjustment.

i. A draft bar comprising a pair of relatively slidable sections having openings therein adapted to register in dili'erent coinbinations for various adjustments of the bar, and a locking member having a pin removably fitting in registering openings and having a portion on one end adapted to extend upwardly at an angle against one side of the sections and provided With a cross-piece on ODIN B. l VALTERS. 

